The Marriage Ceremony (Indian Love Call) by Charles M. Russell

About the Work

Indian courtship especially intrigued Russell in the 1890's. It was common practice for an unmarried man to take his horse to water, then loiter by the stream to admire, and be admired by, a young woman who had caught his fancy. Russell's bold suitor has obviously decided to take the direct approach and has found an Indian maiden who is, for once, without her chaperone. He swoops down upon her like a bird of prey making this courtship appear more like an abduction.
Sid Richardson found romantic appeal in The Marriage Ceremony and it hung over his bed in his home on San Jose Island, suggesting a truly sentimental side beneath his gruff exterior.